CAG flays Haryana realty developers

Chandigarh: Real estate developers in Haryana earned up to 880 times of the original price of land in a few months, causing substantial loss to the Haryana exchequer, finds a Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)'s report for 2013-2014.

Finding gross violations by developers and the complete absence of monitoring by the state government, Principal Accountant General (Audit) of Haryana Mahua Pal said the government had to forgo sizeable revenue, as a proper mechanism was not in place for approval, scrutiny and monitoring of licences regarding land transfers.

Five licensees sold land for about Rs 268 crore which they had purchased for Rs 52.26 crore, earning a profit of about Rs 216 crore.

At the time of granting in-principal approval and formal approval for transfer of licences, the department of town and country planning did not ensure that the net profit beyond 15 per cent by selling land should go to the state exchequer.

The report says Botil Oil Tools India, formerly known as Baker Oil Tools (Bharat), earned 880 times of the original cost of the land and Sun Star Builders and Witness Construction earned 303 times of the original cost of the land within few months of the grant of licences. Pal refused to divulge the exact amount of the transaction.

In case of the Skylight Hospitality, land was sold to its collaborator DLF Universal at 7.73 times the original cost after the in-principal approval for transfer of licence was granted in April 2012.

Uppal Housing sold land to its subsidiary company, Saumya Realtech, at Rs 69.50 crore in March 2013.

Highlighting the inadequate control over the colonisers, the report also finds Identity Build Tech was granted a licence to develop a Group Housing Colony in April 2012 in Gurgaon. According to the conditions of the licence, advertisement for sale of plots or flats was not to be given before approval of building plan. The coloniser pre-launched the project in April 2012 and issued receipts of booking of flats from 400 customers by collecting Rs 55 crore though building plan was approved in April 2013.

Share purchase agreement was executed on December 18, 2012 between Era Landmarks, Identity Buildtech and Ansal Housing and Construction for purchasing complete shareholdings of Identity Buildtech. It was not disclosed by Identity Buildtech that it had collected Rs 55 crore from the prospective buyers. Neither the amount has been refunded nor had the flats and plots been given to the prospective buyers, says the report.

While the farmers in the state are already protesting against the land acquisition Bill in Haryana, these findings of CAG report might add fuel to the fire that indicates the government's patronage for the private players in land business.

REPORT'S FINDINGS

The government had to forgo sizeable revenue, as proper mechanism was not in place for approval, scrutiny and monitoring of licences regarding land transfers

Five licensees sold land for about Rs 268 cr, which they had purchased for Rs 52.26 cr

The state's department of town and country planning did not ensure net profit beyond 15% by selling land should go to the state exchequer

Gurgaon: A CAG audit has cited negligence on the part of Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), Haryana, in monitoring advertisements of the project of a builder and changes in shareholding of developer firms

Chandigarh: "Undue favours" to builders, including Robert Vadra's Skylight Hospitality, by the Haryana Government during the earlier Congress regime has come under attack from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)